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The Jerusalem Prayer List July 21st, 2016

July 22, 2016

By Joseph Shulam – from Home

We are home from a long trip that started in the beginning of June and ended only on July 17th. We had 45 days of traveling, teaching, fellowship, and a bit of visit with the family. Praise the Lord we are safe at home and all ready running in full throttle. I find the young leadership of Netivyah and the Roeh Israel Congregation doing a very fine job. Netivyah is running forward and there is a new Teaching from Zion magazine coming out soon, and the food distribution program is running and growing in numbers, and the youth program is functioning well and training the youth in skills that will help them for the rest of their lives and also cementing their life and their faith in God. I ask you to pray for both Netivyah and the Roeh Israel Congregation. I believe that we have a very special and unique service to both the community of the Jewish Disciples of Yeshua in Israel, and in many other places around the world, and also the service to the bigger goals of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

This week’s reading from the Torah in Israel is from the portion (Parasha) called Phinehas. The portion (Parasha) Phinehas starts in Numbers chapter 25:10-30:1. The first thing that is important for us to notice is that God is not angry with Phinehas for taking his spear and killing the princes of Moab and the Prince of the tribe of Simeon. Here is the interesting text: “And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7 Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. 9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.” (Num. 25:6-9) This young man Phinehas took the law into his own hand and actually executed this couple that were having sex in the courtyard of the Tabernacle of the Lord. The top leadership of Israel was there and the act was done in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the leadership of Israel. No one did anything about this abomination. Those who were in authority like Moses himself were doing nothing they were just bewildered and dumb founded and knew not what to do. In this case Phinehas took the law into his own hand and his javelin pierced the couple in the middle of their action. No one appointed Phinehas to do this act of violence. You would think that everyone would be angry and upset with this young man who jumped out of turn and did this brave act. As you can see from the text this act out of order stopped the plague that was reaping death in the camp of the children of Israel. The plague killed twenty-four thousand children of Israel and it was stopped by this act of bravery. The reading of Numbers chapter 25:11-12, we find out that the Lord actually praises Phinehas and gives him something very special. The Lord gives Phinehas a covenant of Shalom (Peace) and stops the terrible plague in his behalf. “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. 12 Therefore say, “Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace . . .”

The difficult issue in this portion of the Torah is what can we learn for own lives and times from this event and from how the Lord reacted to Phinehas taking the law in his own hands.

1. The Law is the Law, but at times the Law does not give an answer to an emergency situation. Someone on who sees the need and also sees the helplessness of those who are appointed to exercise the Law and knows that he can stop the evil – it is his responsibility to not stand by and wait for the LAW to take action, but take action himself and be willing to bear the consequences if necessary.
2. God expects everyone to do good every time he has the opportunity. Consider the following principle: “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
3. Consider that most of the time in our lives our choices are between “bad” and “worst.” It is not often that our lives have the choice between 100% of good and 100% of evil. We must take into account the King David Principle: “But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45) For his own sake David didn’t defend himself on several occasions, but when it comes to someone defiling the name of God or the honor of our God David like Phinehas stood up and put his faith into action. All of the Army of Israel and King Saul was standing by not knowing what to do, but little David with the power of the Lord behind him took the action to stop the dishonoring of God.

The whole world sees how Muslims honor the image and name of Muhammad. I would never suggest for Christians or Jews to do what Muslims do when some spoof newspaper in Belgium or Paris draws a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. But on the other hand Christians and Jews are showing weakness when they see the evil and hear the evil and the blasphemy against our God, and we just stand by and say nothing or do nothing. There comes a time when all good man must stand up for the right and stop the worry for the political correct. We must stand up with Yeshua and with God HIMSELF. It is up to the Disciples of Yeshua to stand up for him. It is up to the followers of Yeshua and the Worshipers of God Himself to protect the honor of God and of our Savior. Phinehas was not worried about the political correctness of his action. He was worried about the fact that Moses and the leadership of Israel was showing weakness and not knowing how to stop the sin and the plague that was killing the people of Israel. Phinehas was worried for the defiling of God’s holiness and the respect of the people for God’s Tabernacles. If we are ashamed of our Savior in front of man! He, Yeshua, will be ashamed of us in front of His Father in the judgment day.

We must pray for Turkey! The rebellion of some of the army against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was wrong and timed wrong. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was voted in office democratically. The only way to deal with people elected democratically into office is to vote them out by a democratic casting of the ballot. On the other hand it is not right for a person who has the power to misuse that power in order to trample the freedoms of the people just because he has the power. We need to pray for Turkey and for the people of Turkey to see the joy of freedom and prosperity both economically and culturally.

Our prayers for the Middle East are also a prayer for Israel. Israel is a bright spot in this dark gray and black moon surface of desolation, murder, terrorism, and radical religious fundamentalism. We want to see peace and good and prosperity and freedom in our country and also among our neighbors. We pray for our enemies to see only good and receive only blessings from God.

Please pray for the community of Jewish Disciples of Yeshua in Israel. There are some good developments in Israel for the Jewish Disciples of the Messiah. God is really opening up the relationship between a few leading Rabbis and the community of Jewish Disciples of Yeshua.

Keep praying for the issue of the Anussim / Marrano Jews and the opening of the doors of the State of Israel for these decedents of the victims of the inquisition to be restored to their Jewish identity and their return to the Land of Israel.

We have a congregational business meeting tomorrow evening. We need your prayers because we want the young leadership of the congregation to take their place and lead.

Netivyah needs your prayer for the challenges that stand before us in relationship to the future of the congregation and Netivyah. These are all good challenges but not easy. Without God’s help and His and your blessings it would be very difficult. I ask you to pray for God’s blessings for Netivyah and the Roeh Israel Congregation.

Pray for the United States and the election of President in that great country. May the will of God be done in the USA and may the Disciples of the Messiah have the courage and the strength to stand for what is true and holy and beneficial. Open the eyes of the people so that they will see beyond smokescreens and camouflage of the enemy in the lives and business of the candidates.

Keep praying against the terrorism that is plaguing the world and especially against the terrorism in Israel.

Pray for the Israeli government that is again as always in crisis.

Please don’t forget to especial pray for healing and strength for our dear brother Tom from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and also in the same town pray for Bobby, and Emet, and Joe, and Gloria D., these are all very precious brothers and friends are battling serious health issues.

Our dear brother Gary in Jerusalem continued health difficulties. Aharon (Don and Nancy’s Son) has a brain tumor and needs prayer. Yuri Marianenko with prostate cancer, we pray for the cancer to stop spreading and for complete healing. Ahuvah Ben Meir, David Stern, Marcia Shulam, Sarit, Miriam, and Hannah. Pray for healing of my family Danah Shulam, Barry Shulam, and Marcia. We lift up our dear brothers and sisters Ruby, Clara, Paulo, Tatiana, Ilana, Leah, Naomi, Tim Tucker, Anna who has again fallen ill with sever infection, Anne-Mirijami, Satu-Maria, Anna-Majia, Sinni Tuuli, Erki and Sirpa, and Evelina, Eva H., and the USA lift up Liz in Georgia, and Horace and June Marcia’s parents.

In Brazil: Marcelo’s father and mother, Paulo, Clara, and the spiritually sick women and men who knew the truth and chose to believe lies.

We pray for the following dear brothers and sisters: Pastor Curita in Tokyo, Toru San, and the husband of Yumi, Sadako San, Shoko San, Takeo Sensei and Tomoko San all in Japan.

We have brothers and sisters who are not physically sick, but they need the hand of God’s blessing on their lives and business: Michael Knezevich in Portland, Raymond and his family and his company, Laurel S., and please add to this prayer all those people whom you know and ask the Mighty God of Israel and Yeshua our Messiah to show their mercy and grace on these fine disciples of Yeshua. Please don’t forget our dear brother Raymond and his family in Singapore. Pray a special blessing on Raymond’s work and especially for his zeal for truth and a faithful walk with the Lord and blessing of Israel.

Keep in your prayer Terrance and Angelina who are in Canada now. Leah K., and Ilana H., from our congregation are traveling in Finland. We ask safety and blessing on all our brothers and sisters who are traveling.

Our brothers in Japan have opened a welcome center in Kyoto, Japan. I pray and ask you to pray for this welcome center to be blessed by God and used by God to bring a blessing to Israeli travellers to this beautiful ancient city.

Especially pray for the new congregation in Vitoria, E.S., Brazil and their leadership, and for the Teaching from Zion Ministry in Brazil, and the Har Zion Congregation in Belo-Horizonte, and for the Sar EL congregation in Curitiba.

The blessing of the Lord and the reward for your faithfulness in prayer and support of Israel and the ministry of Netivyah may it be seen clearly in your life!